NBA approves Butler trade
All-star forward Jimmy Butler is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, after they and the Minnesota Timberwolves received approval from the league office Monday on the terms of the trade that was agreed to over the weekend.
Butler and Justin Patton were traded for Philadelphia, in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless along with a 2022 second-round draft pick.
Butler, 29, will be introduced by the 76ers on Tuesday and is expected to debut with his new club Wednesday at Orlando. Philadelphia is visiting Miami on Monday.
AUTO RACING
David Pearson, a NASCAR pioneer and longtime rival of Richard Petty, has died. He was 83.
Pearson died Monday, The Wood Brothers racing team said, but details were not available.
Pearson was a three-time Cup champion and his 105 career victories trail only Petty’s 200 on NASCAR’s all-time list.
Born just outside of Spartanburg, S.C., Pearson made his NASCAR debut in 1960 and along with Petty, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough, they raced all over the country as the cornerstone during NASCAR’s period of slow growth beyond a regional racing series. Pearson was inducted into the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Senior forward Alex Illikainen has decided to leave the Wisconsin men’s basketball program but plans to remain in school, UW officials announced.
Illikainen did not play in UW’s opener, an 85-63 victory over Coppin State.
He played in a total of 85 games and averaged 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
“We wish Alex luck as he continues to pursue earning his degree from the University of Wisconsin in May,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release.
Duke new No. 1: Duke has supplanted Kansas atop the new AP Top 25 poll after its dominating win against Kentucky, giving the Blue Devils a record number of appearances at No. 1.
That allowed Duke to set a record with its 135th week at No. 1, breaking a tie with UCLA.
The Jayhawks fell to No. 2 while Gonzaga was third, followed by Virginia and Tennessee to round out the top 5
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Former running back Ron Johnson, who was the first black player to be a captain of the Michigan football team, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 71.
Johnson was an All-American for the Wolverines in 1968 when he set a school record that still stands with 347 yards rushing against Wisconsin. He ran for 1,391 yards that season and scored a school-record 19 touchdowns, another record that stands.
Johnson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
NHL
The National Hockey League announced a tentative $18.9 million settlement Monday with 318 retired players who sued the league and accused it of failing to protect them from head injuries or warning them of the risks involved with playing.
The lawsuit, consolidated in federal court in Minnesota, was by far the largest facing the league.
Each player who opts in would receive $22,000 and could be eligible for up to $75,000 in medical treatment.